Author: Press Room

The bodies of the two people killed in a house fire in east Auckland have been removed from the property as an investigation continues into what caused the fatal blaze on Thursday morning.Emergency services were called to the Murvale Dr property in the suburb of Bucklands Beach at around 2.30am.Dramatic footage captured by 1News at the scene showed the two-storey building completely engulfed in flames.Detective Inspector Tofilau Faamanuia Va’aelua said the police investigation remained in the early stages.”The cause of the fire has not been determined and we are working with fire investigators as part of those inquiries.”Va’aelua said the…

Don’t banish cars from central Blenheim, David Seymour has warned on a visit to Marlborough, weighing in on plans to revitalise the CBD.The deputy prime minister and ACT leader was in town on Thursday to visit businesses, including Murphy’s New Zealand in Grovetown, and give speeches, first at a Marlborough Chamber of Commerce lunch and in the evening at a public meeting, with Local Democracy Reporting invited to attend.When asked about his thoughts on work to revitalise central Blenheim, with Market St’s makeover currently in the design phase, Seymour said Blenheim should avoid the mistakes of Auckland and Queenstown in…

Foodstuffs has recalled a specific batch of its Pams brand mini hash browns due to the possible presence of hard plastic in the product.New Zealand Food Safety (NZFS) advised people who had purchased the product to not consume it and return it to the store for a full refund.”There have been no reports of injury, however if you have consumed this product and have any concerns about your health, seek medical advice.”The affected batch had a best before date of 1/09/2027.It was sold in Four Square, New World, and Pak’nSave supermarkets nationwide.”Foodstuffs Own Brands Ltd wishes to apologise to our…

Police and the Department of Conservation (DOC) are appealing for information after a kororā/little penguin was found dead in Oamaru last weekend.Officers received a report of anti-social vehicle activity around the Esplanade in Oamuru at around 9.15pm on September 28.Sergeant Tony Woodbridge said police were appealing to anyone who was part of that group of vehicles to do the right thing.”Come forward to speak to us. We’re also calling on the public to provide any information that could assist our investigation. We’d like to speak to anybody who was on or around the Esplanade between 8:30pm and 9:30pm on Sunday.”Anyone…

An Auckland family says they were shocked to receive a quote of nearly $37,000 to connect their Bucklands Beach property to Vector’s gas network, despite doing part of the installation work themselves to lower the cost.The homeowner, who asked to be identified as Chloe, had planned to install the gas connection for cooking and hot water to support an elderly parent and her young children.Based on previous experience connecting gas at four different properties, she expected the cost to be in the range of $7000.So when the initial quote from Vector arrived in June at $24,877.64, Chloe said she was…

Some “incredibly reckless, dangerous” behaviour on the roads is inevitable says AA spokesperson, and requires consequences with the goal of encouraging “better choices”.The AA says a car clocked speeding at 204km/h highlights the need for speed cameras to stop “dangerous behaviour”. Last week, 1News revealed some of the fastest speeds captured by speed cameras in the first two months since the NZ Transport Agency took over their operation. The fastest speeds recorded across July and August were 204km/h, 193km/h, 175km/h, 171km/h, and 167km/h. NZTA elected to file charges in court for each speed under the Criminal Procedure Act.AA road safety…

You know about saving. But have you heard about “revenge saving”?As the world continues to recover from the altered spending habits of the post-pandemic period, “revenge saving” is the latest trend that commentators say is taking hold.Instead of revenge spending – where people spend on things they don’t really need after a period of restriction, revenge saving is where people try to make up for their poor financial habits by being extremely frugal.This could be anything from a light-hearted “no spend challenge” to a permanent move to cut right back. It could be driven by wider concerns about the economy…

The Government has announced that it will invest more funding in natural pharmaceuticals and bio-based products, aiming to boost exports for what it describes as a “fast-growing” sector. Science, Innovation, and Technology Minister Dr Shane Reti announced that the Government would be investing over $42.8 million over seven years to establish a “Biodiscovery Platform”. The platform would be designed to “accelerate the development of high-growth industries producing natural pharmaceuticals and other bio-based products”.The newly formed Bioeconomy Science Institute would lead it.“This is an economic growth initiative,” Reti said. “By harnessing New Zealand’s rich biodiversity, we can develop world-class, export-ready products…

An episode of The Chase featuring a Manchester teacher who died shortly after his triumphant appearance, will air on TVNZ1 and TVNZ+ tonight.64-year-old Tim McCarthy fulfilled a lifelong ambition of competing on the quiz show just weeks before passing away after battling a long illness. The nail-biting £50,000 (NZ$115,000) win was kept a secret by Tim’s widow, Rachel, and their three children until it was broadcast. He beat The Chaser by just one second alongside a fellow contestant.During the episode, Tim told The Chase host Bradley Walsh that he had been “blessed in his career” as a teacher. “I’m just…

A teenager has been arrested and charged with the murder of 67-year-old Donald Baikie, who was found dead by police on Tuesday. Police were called to a property on Chapel St in Greymouth at around 12.15pm on Tuesday, where they found Baikie dead on arrival. Inspector Jacqui Corner said a 16-year-old boy was arrested last night and would appear in Greymouth Youth Court this morning.”Police have completed a scene examination at the address where Mr Baikie was located deceased, however, there will be a continued police presence in the area as we continue with our investigation,” Corner said. “We would…